D&D 12
by John Tannius
Summary: Ranma runs afoul of the Cursed Springs of Myth Drannor. How does a young elf girl react to having a new fiance that changes genders?


It was a dark and stormy night (Sheesh! How's that for a cliché opening?). Two figures were running down a dark street in the rain. One was a red headed girl about four and a half feet tall wearing a red tunic with a green vest. The other figure was a large brown bear running on its hind legs.  
  
"Tell me again why we're running through the streets of Waterdeep in the middle of the night?" The red head muttered. (Yes it's Ranma.)  
  
"Gruff, growl, urrrr." The bear responded.  
  
"Engagement? I don't have time for engagements! I need to get back to Myth Drannor!" Ranma yelled back.  
  
"Grrr, ruff, growl" Genma (Yes Genma) replied.  
  
"Forget it old man, this is probably just another of your get rich quick schemes. Like that treasure map con."  
  
Just then the two went quiet as two other people wandered by in the dark. One was a short redhead followed by a tall blond man in blue partial plate armor.  
  
"This is the last time I let you talk me into an ocean voyage!" Lena Inverse growled.  
  
"How was I supposed to know it was a spelljammer ship?" Gallory whined.  
  
"Wow, she looks just like me, except for the small breasts of course." Ranma commented.  
  
"I heard that! Flame Arrow!" Lina shouted.  
  
Ranma took the hit in the chest knocking her into a wall. She slid down unconcious. Genma nodded thanks to Lena and picked up the comatose girl and headed down the street.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma woke sometime later. She was lying on a soft bed in an unfamiliar room. She sat up, taking in as much detail as possible. She didn't survive as long as she had without being a little paranoid. Especially where her father was concerned. It wasn't unusual to be attacked by somebody trying to get revenge for something her father had done.  
  
Seeing that there were no immediate threats she got up and went to the door. Before she got halfway across the room, the door opened and a taller woman entered. She had long hair down to the middle of her back and a wonderful carefree smile on her face that made Ranma feel as if she didn't have a care in the world.  
  
"Hello, my name is Kasumi. How are you feeling?" she asked, pulling a stray hair over her pointed elven ears.  
  
"I'm feeling better. Although I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut. My name's Ranma."  
  
"So you're Ranma. Father always told us that Ranma was a boy. Why don't you go wash up before having dinner with us. Father put your pet bear out in the stable away from the horses by the way." Kasumi smiled as she held the door open.  
  
Ranma nodded and gulped nervously. She wondered how they would handle her curse if they found out. She didn't plan on staying long so she decided to keep it a secret for now.  
  
Kasumi led the girl to another room. There was a fairly large tub with two spigots hanging over one end. They had running water! Ranma knew only mages and the extremely rich had access to such things. Kasumi explained how they worked and showed that one of the faucets was hot water. Ranma was impressed to say the least. Kasumi excused herself and told Ranma not to be too long.  
  
Ranma stripped out of her clothes and quickly filled the tub with hot water. She stepped in and slid down into the tub feeling the now familiar change sweep over her. Ranma looked at his hands as they grew and became more masculine. He sighed and shook his head. As curses went, turning into a girl wasn't so bad really. That didn't mean he had to like it. He looked around the small bathroom. It was beautifully decorated. Not extravagant but it showed a moderate amount of wealth. If this was the Tendo's house and he assumed it was, maybe he could stay for a few days. He laughed when he remembered his father was outside in the stables. Serves the old man right for trying to engage him to someone he never met. Then he thought of Kasumi. Ranma wondered if she was the one Pops meant. He put it out of his mind and resolved to enjoy the all too rare hot bath.  
  
Kasumi was in the kitchen finishing dinner when she called out to her sister, "Akane! I forgot to bring Ranma a towel and robe. Could you get them for her and tell her supper is ready?"  
  
Akane looked up from her spellbook she'd been studying and stood up, "Sure Kasumi." She glanced at her father who was sitting in a chair in the corner crying softly about how the clans could never be united now. She went upstairs and took a towel and spare robe out of the linen closet and went to the bathroom door. She opened it just as Ranma was getting out of the tub. She stared at him for about twenty seconds before shutting the door and quietly walking down the hall. She reached the stairs before she started screaming.  
  
"There's a pervert in the bathroom!" Akane cried storming down the stairs.  
  
"Oh my, I hope Ranma's all right. She was taking a bath up there." Kasumi said in her usual calm.  
  
"Why didn't you zap him?" Nabiki asked coming into the family room.  
  
"I was scared!" Akane picked up a huge solid mahogany coffee table and raised it over her head, "I'll drown him in the tub!" She growled.  
  
There was movement at the top of the stairs, Ranma came down calmly, hanging his head.  
  
"I'm Ranma Saotome. Sorry about this."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Everyone was gathered in the family room around the coffee table. Ranma and Genma sat in the love seat across from the Tendos.  
  
"So, the cursed springs of Myth Drannor. I've heard the legends but never thought they were real." Soun said.  
  
"So exactly how did this happen?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"It all started when we went on a training trip into the elven court around Myth Drannor." Genma began.  
  
"You mean a treasure hunting expedition." Ranma interjected.  
  
"I had it on good authority that our ancestral home still had some artifacts of worth and it was our duty to retrieve them for the honor of our clan."  
  
"In other words. Sell them in Sembia for twice their actual worth." Ranma countered.  
  
"That's right... I mean, shut up boy. I'm telling the story here."  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The Chimera was right behind them and closing rapidly. Ranma dodged to the right to avoid a burst of flame from the dragon head. They had been exploring the ruins, looking for the alleged Saotome manor when they had disturbed the creature's lair.  
  
Genma had managed to get ahead of Ranma which was some feat considering Genma's bulk. The forest seemed to grasp at them, impeding their progress. Suddenly they broke through into a large clearing. There were hundreds of small pools with logs sticking out randomly throughout the clearing. Genma was skirting between pools making for the other side of the clearing. Ranma leapt to the poles taking advantage of his martial arts training to quickly get to the other side.  
  
Genma suddenly slipped and fell into a pool and disappeared. Ranma paused to see if his father was all right when a brown bear emerged from the pool and shook its fur out. Ranma felt something right behind him and leapt out of the way just as the Chimera attacked. Ranma kicked out at it, sending the creature into another pool. However Ranma's trajectory left him with no pole to land on and he was heading for another pool whether he wanted to or not. In a large splash Ranma hit and immediately bobbed to the surface. He sighed for a moment, realizing he was still elven but something wasn't right. Looking down he ripped his tunic open to reveal a pair of breasts. He screamed.  
  
Nearby a small halfling crawled out of the pool the chimera fell into and stalked off feeling very sorry for itself.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"So the true horrors of Myth Drannor are revealed." Soun said in awe. "You've tried to have this curse removed?"  
  
Ranma nodded, "We even had a high priest of Mystra look into it. Apparently the curses are a kind of Geas given by some god. It can't be lifted until whatever quest assigned is fulfilled. All we know for sure is that cold water triggers the curse and hot water reverses it."  
  
"So it isn't permanent. That isn't so bad after all. These are my daughters. Kasumi is fifty six, Nabiki my middle daughter is forty four, and my youngest, Akane is thirty six. Choose one and she will be your fiance."  
  
"I think Akane would be best." Kasumi said.  
  
"I agree. Ranma is closer to your age. And he's half girl. You're always saying how much you hate boys." Nabiki acknowledged.  
  
"What? Me marry that sex changing, perverted half elf?! I'd sooner marry Kuno!" Akane shouted.  
  
"Who are you calling a half elf? Just because I inherited smaller ears from my dad's side of the family does not make me a half elf! Besides, I saw you getting quite the eyeful when you walked in on me. So watch who you're calling a pervert." Ranma said in a huff.  
  
Akane turned red and held out her hands in front of her. She gave a quick chant and three spheres of light flew from her hands and struck Ranma knocking him out.  
  
Genma shook his head sadly, "One of these days he'll learn when to keep his mouth shut."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma woke up for the second time in a soft bed. There was a cool cloth on her forehead. Apparently it had been wet enough to trigger the curse when it was first put on. Kasumi and Nabiki were sitting beside the bed as Kasumi was tending to Ranma.  
  
"You'll have to excuse Akane. She's really a nice girl, she's just a little violent." Kasumi explained.  
  
"Oh, like that makes it ok." Nabiki smirked. "So what are your plans, other than marrying my sister that is."  
  
Ranma thought for a minute, letting Nabiki's comment slide, "I was thinking of consulting a few of the wizards here in Waterdeep about my curse and if they can't help me then I'll probably go back to Sembia. I'm sure my cure is somewhere near Myth Drannor."  
  
Nabiki's eyes lit up like platinum at the mention of Sembia. It was only the trading capitol of all Faerun. She began formulating plans and excused herself to go contact some people she knew.  
  
"Well, you slept the whole night. I'm going to serve breakfast in about an hour. Why don't you go get some hot water and change back." Kasumi gave Ranma that disarming smile of hers.  
  
Ranma nodded, hoping the rest of her day would go better than the previous one.  
  
Ranma walked down the hallway towards the bathroom. She opened the door to see Akane toweling herself dry from a bath. They looked at each other for a brief second then Akane slapped Ranma sharply across the cheek.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma grumbled as he ate his breakfast. A large red hand shaped bruise marked his cheek.  
  
"But it was ok this time. You were both girls at the time." Nabiki teased.  
  
"But he's really a guy!" Akane shouted.  
  
"Really, you two should wait until after you're married." Kasumi scolded.  
  
Ranma choked on his eggs, "That's not how it is at all!"  
  
"What? You don't think I'm attractive?" Akane accused.  
  
"No, no, that's not it at all!"  
  
"So you were peeping on me! Pervert!" A mace appeared out of nowhere, flatting Ranma into the table. Akane's face set into a self righteous expression as her mace disappeared back to wherever she kept it.  
  
"Gods, what a tomboy." Ranma muttered into his plate.  
  
"So boy, Nabiki tells me you plan to go on a quest to cure this curse." Soun said changing the subject.  
  
Ranma nodded as he peeled bacon off his nose.  
  
"Well then. This is the perfect opportunity for you and Akane to get aquainted. She will accompany you on your quest."  
  
"You can't be serious daddy!" Akane protested.  
  
"You're always complaining about how you want to get out and see the world. I remember all the great adventures Genma and I had traveling with the mas..."  
  
Genma cut him off by placing a hand over Soun's mouth, "Don't even mention him. It's too scary to even think about."  
  
Soun gulped and nodded, "Anyway, this is the perfect opportunity to travel and get it out of your system before you settle down. Ranma will be there to protect you. Won't you Ranma?"  
  
"But who's gonna protect me?"  
  
"Idiot!" Akane slugged him in the shoulder.  
  
"See?" Ranma groaned.  
  
"Regardless, Nabiki wants to accompany you to Sembia. She wants to spend some time doing some trading. Perhaps she can even help you in your quest. She has this uncanny ability to dig up information."  
  
"Great! I'll go out today to get us supplies for out trip. Ranma, Akane, would you like to come help me carry everything?" Nabiki asked.  
  
There were grunts of assent from the two.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"If we're going to carry this much then we should get a bag of holding or at least a portable hole." Ranma complained. He was loaded down with a huge frame backpack and at least six or seven bags.  
  
"Oh don't worry about it so much. Once we're on the road we'll split the load so it won't be so much." Nabiki smiled.  
  
Akane tried to hide her smile at Ranma's plight. She knew Nabiki and felt sorry for Ranma. He'd be carrying most of their supplies on the trip.  
  
Ranma caught the smile. She's really cute when she smiles he thought.  
  
"So what kind of weapons do you use Ranma? I noticed you didn't have any when you showed up. If you need some I can buy them cheap." Nabiki asked.  
  
Ranma shook his head, "I don't use weapons. I practice an open handed form of combat. It tends to be non lethal. I don't go around slicing up people and monsters like some idiots I've met. I only fight to protect myself and others."  
  
"Well that's awfully noble of you" Nabiki said sarcastically. She started to say something else when she was interrupted.  
  
"Akane Tendo! At last we meet again my love! Come, let me treat you to lunch at my mansion!" A human man in gleaming plate mail armor strode towards them.  
  
"Who's this moron?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Who are you scoundrel to be so familiar with the fair Akane?" The man shouted. People began to back away knowing that a fight was likely to ensue.  
  
Ranma began to respond, "But wait is it not custom that I should give my name first? Very well, I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Waterdeep, Paladin of the Order of the Red Rose of Tyr."  
  
Ranma chuckled, "They say that insignificant people give themselves long, outrageous names to make themselves feel more important. I'm Ranma Saotome, and I'm staying at the Tendo's house."  
  
Kuno ignored Ranma's first statement focusing instead on what else he had said, "Living under the same roof as Akane! I will not permit it!" He drew his sword, a long two handed blade that had a faint bluish aura and charged Ranma.  
  
Ranma unloaded all the supplies they'd been collecting and dumped them on Akane, "Here hold these."  
  
He leapt into the air to avoid Kuno's initial thrust. Landing, he ducked under a sword swing and unleashed a flurry of blows against the weaker parts of Kuno's armor. Kuno staggered back as pieces of armor fell away.  
  
Trying to keep his crotch guard from falling down, Kuno left his head unprotected as Ranma did a flying roundhouse kick to his head. Kuno fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
Ranma dusted his hands off and walked back towards Nabiki and Akane. Both girls were impressed. Kuno was not a person to be taken lightly. Akane usually had to use a charm person on him to make him go away. Realizing Ranma had just interfered in her daily battle she got angry.  
  
"I could have handled him you know!" She growled.  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Too bad, he attacked me you know. It's not as if I started it."  
  
Akane let loose a sound of frustration and stomped off.  
  
Nabiki shook her head, "Too bad I didn't have enough warning. I could have made a small bundle betting on that fight. Come on Ranma, let's get this back to the house and see about getting ready to leave tomorrow.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Elminster was sitting in his study smoking his pipe and reading a Dragon Ball manga. He chuckled to himself at a really crude joke when he saw someone come in from his kitchen. It was a human boy, probably sixteen or seventeen years old. He was wearing a worn traveling cloak and had a tiger striped bandanna around his head.  
  
He looked at the surprised mage, "Excuse me, can you tell me if I'm in Waterdeep?"  
  
Elminster opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then opened again, "You're way off course boy. Waterdeep is clear on the other side of Faerun to the west."  
  
"Oh, sorry to bother you." The boy said and walked into a nearby closet.  
  
Elminster got up and opened the closet to question how the boy had gotten into his house. The closet was empty.  
  
"Well I'll be... And here I thought I'd seen everything on Toril." The ancient mage muttered.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma knocked on the mage Blackstaff's door. He looked up at the tall tower.  
  
"What is it with mages and towers?" He muttered as he waited.  
  
Soon a face grew out of the stone on the side of the tower, "Lord Blackstaff is busy. What may I ask is the nature of your interruption?"  
  
Why that arrogant... "Tell him I'm here to see about curing a curse from the cursed pools of Myth Drannor."  
  
The face disappeared for a few minutes then returned. A second door appeared and opened, "Use this door. The master will see you."  
  
Ranma walked inside. Apparently the first door was an illusion or a trap for thieves. He was led up a set of stairs to the second floor by the now transparent face floating in the air. There was a man sitting in a large plush chair smoking a pipe.  
  
"The wizard Blackstaff I presume." Ranma stated as fact not as a question.  
  
"And you are?" Blackstaff asked.  
  
"Ranma Saotome, I've been cursed in on of the pools of Myth Drannor."  
  
The mage got up out of his chair. All semblance of a reserved dignified wizard disappeared as he became practically giddy as he began to examine Ranma.  
  
"What exactly do you turn into? How does the curse work? I must get a parchment to write this down." He turned and a quill and scroll appeared in his hands.  
  
"It's a water based curse. Cold water activates it and hot water reverses it. I fell into the spring of drowned girl. My father fell into the spring of drowned brown bear." Ranma explained.  
  
"Two cursed individuals in the same town? Oh I must study this." He gestured to an unseen servant and soon a tray with a pitcher of water and a steaming kettle apeared.  
  
After a few minutes of changing Ranma back and forth and writing notes furiously Ranma interrupted him.  
  
"So, is there anyway of removing this curse?"  
  
"Hmm?" Kelban Blackstaff looked up from his parchment, "I have no idea."  
  
Ranma facefaulted but soon recovered, "What do you mean you don't know?" He screamed.  
  
"I've only heard myths and rumors about the cursed pools. You're the first person I've ever met with one. If you could wait a few months, I could make some inquiries and see what I can do. Until then I could study the phenomenon some more."  
  
Ranma was beginning to know what a lab rat felt like, "Umm, you see, I have to leave town for a while. I'm needed to escort a friend to Sembia. My father will be here for a while though. You can experiment... I mean study him."  
  
Kelban looked disappointed for a minute until Ranma mention his father and that seemed to be enough.  
  
Ranma excused himself and practically ran back to the Tendo home.  
  
"Wizards, I should have known better than to ask those bozos."  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma woke up the next morning surprised. Before breakfast, Nabiki had taken him out to the stables and had him help load up four horses for their trip.  
  
"Wow, I've never traveled by horse before." Ranma commented.  
  
"Really? Why, couldn't you afford it?" Nabiki ribbed him.  
  
"Well, sometimes. But the real reason is Pops would probably eat it when we ran out of food and I tend to rely on myself for the most part anyway. Besides, I try not to take any more than I can carry. If something happens to the horses then how do you carry all this?" Ranma gestured to the packs and saddlebags strewn about.  
  
Nabiki cupped his chin with one of her fingers, "That's why we're bringing you along silly."  
  
Ranma frowned. He was not liking the way the trip was going and they hadn't even left the house yet.  
  
The two walked back into the house after a while to see Akane coming out of the kitchen, "Ranma! I made some breakfast for you. Eat up so we can get out of Waterdeep before lunch."  
  
Ranma shrugged and sat at the table. Nabiki excused herself, saying she had a few more things to get from her room. Ranma looked at the plate. There were eggs and some sort of meat, at least he thought it was meat. Ok, looks weren't everything, he'd seen some of the stuff his father had cooked. Taking up a fork he brought some egg to his mouth. Akane looked on with anticipation, Soun looked on in horror, Kasumi smiled.  
  
The taste was indescribable, Indescribably bad that is. Ranma managed to swallow the piece then emptied his mug of cider in one gulp.  
  
"Ugh, that was horrible! Are you really a bad cook or were you trying to kill me so I can't marry you?" Ranma shouted.  
  
Akane eyes went from hopeful to hateful in an instant, "Are you saying you don't like my cooking?"  
  
"I'm just saying it would be safer to eat a black pudding than this slop." Ranma said getting up from his chair.  
  
"Ranma You IDIOT!" Again Akane rolled a twenty and got a critical hit with her mace and impacted the back of Ranma's head sending him out the back window and into the small ornamental pond. A female Ranma floated to the surface face down.  
  
"Oh dear. I'll go get a healing potion." Kasumi said.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ranma, Akane and Nabiki led their horses towards the city gates with their packhorse in tow. The gates were large, fifty men standing abreast could walk through unhindered. Guards inspected people and carts coming in but tended to ignore people exiting the city. Moving the horses into a faster moving section of the crowd, the trio was halted by a shout from behind.  
  
"Hold! Stand where you are!" Kuno shouted from the top of his horse, a white charger.  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes and pulled the horses forward again.  
  
"The fair Akane Tendo is not allowed to leave the city unescorted!" Cried Kuno as he pushed people aside to catch up. He finally squeezed past a large man in plate mail with a huge sword on his back and a holy symbol of Tempus on his chest. The man scowled and went back to arguing with a black robed wizard.  
  
"What do you want Kuno?" Akane asked.  
  
"I must accompany you on your quest fair one. If only to keep your honor intact with this rogue around."  
  
"Who are you calling a rogue?" Argued Ranma.  
  
"I appreciate your offer Kuno..." Akane began.  
  
"So the more the merrier." Nabiki finished. Akane glared angrily at her sister. Ranma just sighed.  
  
"So can we go now?" Ranma gestured towards the gate.  
  
Nabiki nodded gleefully. This trip might be more fun than she planned.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The ancient red dragon awoke to the sound of coins sliding off one of its piles. She raised her head and looked around in the darkness of her lair. A human boy wearing a tiger striped bandanna came out from behind one of the huge piles of gold.  
  
Amused, the dragon decided not to eat him right away.  
  
"Excuse me?" The boy asked, "Could you tell me which direction is Waterdeep?"  
  
The dragon raised an eyebrow, "You are lost aren't you little one? Waterdeep is far to the south. This is the Icewind Dales."  
  
"Oh, forgive my intrusion then." The boy rounded another stack of gold and disappeared from sight.  
  
Thinking he might be trying to run away, the dragon got up and looked down on her treasure. The boy was nowhere to be found. She made sure nothing was missing and noticed even the odor of the human seemed to disappear until she wasn't sure anyone had been there at all.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
The four riders made good time once outside the city walls and crowds of Waterdeep. Kuno could not decide to stay by Akane's side or to take the lead as he felt his position as a Paladin dictated. So he kept moving back and forth within the group. Ranma stayed to the rear, pulling the pack horse and wondering how he ever got talked into taking these three on this trip.  
  
They traveled most of the day, making good time once they passed the outlying farmlands. Soon evening came and they stopped at a well used campsite off on the side of the road. These were somewhat common in the more traveled areas near Waterdeep but would become smaller and less used as they made their way eastward. Ranma quickly set up camp and started a fire to cook dinner. Nabiki was doing some writing in a book in the last of the daylight. Akane was gathering some spell components that were growing wild nearby and Kuno was alternating between patroling the campsite, following Akane, and ordering Ranma around.  
  
Ranma took the teachings of his sensei to heart and ignored the arrogant paladin as much as he could. It was one of the few times he'd been away from his father. It was back when he was sixteen years old and living near Shadowdale. He'd met his first friend Ukyou there. His father had run off on some adventure to recover some jewels or something and left Ranma at the temple of Lathander for almost six months. One of the priests taught Ranma the Art and the moral way of thinking in order to achive the harmony needed to practice it. Every day at lunch he would go down and spar with Ukyou, who made the best spiced potatoes he'd ever tasted. He cooked them in this huge mythril skillet. Ukyou claimed the skillet was an heirloom from over ten generations back. His family supposedly cooked for the kings of Comyr at one time. Of course that all ended when Genma came back to claim him. The adventure had been a bust and Genma was even farther in debt than before so they snuck out in the middle of the night. It didn't help matters that Genma replenish their provisions from Ukyou's stock before leaving. As he cooked dinner, Ranma idly wondered whatever happened to his old buddy Ukyou.  
  
After everyone ate dinner and cleaned up to turn in for the night, Ranma realized the two girls hadn't set up their tents.  
  
"Aren't you girls gonna be cold sleepin' outside tonight?" He asked.  
  
Nabiki smirked at him. Ranma was really beginning to hate that smirk.  
  
"Of course not. Unlike you barbarians, Nabiki and I will be sleeping like civilized people." Akane taunted. She pulled a small cube from her pack, pushed a button on the side while saying the command word, and a small cottage sprang up in an empty section of the campsite. Nabiki waved goodnight as the two left the men to their own devices.  
  
"I shall stand first guard and wake you at midnight." Kuno declared.  
  
Ranma shook his head sadly, "Whatever." This quest was just getting better and better he thought sarcastically. Going to his tent he drifted off to sleep thinking of different ways to rid himself of a Paladin and not betray his vows.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Author's Rants: Hehehe. this little beauty is one that's been sitting on the hard drive for over a year now. Not sure if I'll write another chapter or not (Got too many damn unfinished fics as it is) I thought I'd post it seeing as it's different from my usual work. Oh, well, back to Ranko's curse and City of Dreams. 


End file.
